2014 February - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens Rumors: Pitta, Monroe, Jones, Draft

February 21st, 2014 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve passed along a couple Ravens updates from the combine already today, but Aaron Wilson’s latest piece for the Baltimore Sun includes so many notable nuggets on the team that we’ll need a new post to round them all up. Let’s dive in….

The Ravens are in discussions with tight end Dennis Pitta and offensive tackle Eugene Monroe about new contracts, and coach John Harbaugh is optimistic about locking up both players. “To my knowledge, both of those guys really want to be here and we really want them here,” Harbaugh said. “That’s a good formula for working things out.”
If the Ravens tag Pitta as their franchise player, he’s expected to file a grievance to try to get the wide receiver tag, a source tells Wilson.
Harbaugh didn’t close the door on the possibility of bringing back both Monroe and Michael Oher, though a previous report suggested Oher is unlikely to return if Monroe re-signs.
Defensive tackle Arthur Jones is expected to receive heavy interest on the open market, and may be too expensive for the Ravens, as Harbaugh acknowledges: “It’s probably the one contract that he’ll have a chance to sign, a real big one. Guys that sign two big contracts, that’s very unusual. Three almost never happens, so you never feel bad about a guy getting an opportunity. You never want to lose a good player. But from a personal standpoint, you have to feel good about that. Whether we can match that or not, that’s all in the math.”
The Ravens will meet with Boston College running back Andre Williams, who also has meetings scheduled with the Jaguars, Bills, and Bengals, tweets Wilson.
Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey also met with the Ravens, as well as the Steelers, at the combine, tweets Wilson.

Rams Notes: Saffold, Bradford, Williams

February 21st, 2014 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few Friday updates on the Rams:

The offensive line will be a priority for the Rams this offseason, though GM Les Snead expects there to be more clarity in a few weeks once some contract situations are sorted out and injuries continue to heal. Meanwhile, coach Jeff Fisher says he would have “no reservations” about taking an offensive lineman in the first round, says Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
Fisher and Snead both emphasized the importance of re-signing free agent guard Rodger Saffold, according to Wagoner (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic hears that the Cardinals would have interest in Saffold if he and the Rams don’t reach an agreement before March 11.
Snead says the Rams talked to Sam Bradford‘s camp last spring about a contract extension, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wagoner adds (via Twitter) that Snead suggested those discussions are “ongoing and active.”
Free agent offensive lineman Chris Williams and the Rams have mutual interest in working out a new agreement, according to Fisher (Twitter link via Wagoner).
Auburn tackle Greg Robinson said he met with the Rams for a formal interview on Thursday night, tweets Wagoner.

Combine Updates: Orakpo, Talib, Welker

February 21st, 2014 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Redskins GM Bruce Allen is a big fan of Brian Orakpo and will to talk to his agent this weekend, but there’s no guarantee that the free agent linebacker will be back in 2014, writes the Washington Times’ Zac Boyer.

“We like Brian,” Allen said. “There’s no doubt we like Brian, as well as a number of other players. If we were just one player short, that would be an easy question, but we have several [needs] that we’re looking to fill.”

Orakpo, 27, is considered among the best pass rushers available and is expected to command an average salary in the neighborhood of $10MM per season. Here’s more from the second day of the 2014 combine:

The Patriots are set to meet with Aqib Talib in Indianapolis to discuss a new deal, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. As Howe notes, it’s a buyer’s market at the cornerback position with Alterraun Verner, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Charles Tillman, Vontae Davis and Brent Grimes also set to become available.
Broncos GM John Elway expects wide receiver Wes Welker to be back with the team in 2014 for the final year of his contract, tweets Howe.
Ken Harris, Jared Allen‘s agent, tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) that he had a “constructive” meeting with the Vikings on Thursday.
Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said he anticipates getting two to three compensatory draft picks, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
In Ron Rivera’s view, the Panthers don’t have a successor to Steve Smith on their roster, which is something the head coach believes the club could address this offseason, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
According to GM Martin Mayhew, the Lions have no plans to try to re-sign wide receiver Nate Burleson or safety Louis Delmas, who were released earlier this month. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the details.
Johnny Manziel wants to endear himself to NFL GMs, so naturally, he decided to refer to himself in third person at the combine today when talking to reporters. “Johnny Manziel is a small-town kid. People make me out to be a Hollywood type,” the quarterback said, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Chiefs Making Every Effort To Extend Smith

February 21st, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Chiefs GM John Dorsey confirmed earlier today that the team has reached out to Alex Smith‘s representatives about a new long-term contract for the starting quarterback. Speaking further to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Dorsey indicated that those discussions are ongoing. According to La Canfora, the Chiefs are putting “every effort” into locking up Smith to a long-term extension.

As Smith prepares to enter the final year of his current contract, the negotiations on a new deal should be interesting to follow. The 29-year-old’s current pact pays him about $9MM per year, and he has only strengthened his resumé since inking that deal, having led the 49ers and Chiefs to a combined 17-6-1 in his starts over the last two seasons. After setting career-highs in passing yards (3313) and touchdowns (23) in 2013, Smith looks poised to earn an eight-figure annual salary on his next deal, with a sizable chunk of guaranteed money. Still, with Smith currently set to earn a base salary of $7.5MM in 2014, an extension could reduce that number, benefiting the Chiefs by opening up a few million dollars in cap space.

In addition to discussing a new deal with Smith, the Chiefs haven’t dismissed the possibility of bringing back free agent tackle Branden Albert, according to Dorsey (link via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher). A report last week suggested Kansas City would let Albert walk, replacing him with in-house options, but Dorsey said that’s the first he’s heard of it.

“We have ongoing conversations with all of our unrestricted free agents,” Dorsey said. “It just so happens we’ve had conversations with Branden’s representatives, and that’s the beauty of the combine. Those guys are here. We will continue to have conversations with those representatives as the combine passes.”

Despite Dorsey’s comments, it’s unlikely that the team reaches an agreement to retain Albert, writes Teicher.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Bengals, Ravens

February 21st, 2014 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

After checking in on the AFC West, let’s head North and round up the latest on the Browns, Bengals, and Ravens….

The possibility of a reunion between Browns head coach Mike Pettine and safety Jairus Byrd is real, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. However, the Bills could complicate things by hitting Byrd with the franchise tag.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis says he’s hoping to get a deal done with free agent defensive end Michael Johnson, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter links). In reference to quarterback Andy Dalton, Lewis said, “I’m sure we’ll sit down about contract at some point.”
The Giants worked out an extension with coach Tom Coughlin to avoid lame duck status in 2014, but the Bengals have yet to take that measure with Marvin Lewis. The coach says he has no problem with that, Hobson writes.
With Ray Rice facing charges and a potential suspension following his arrest in a domestic incident, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked if there were scenarios in which the running back wouldn’t return to the team next season. “Not that I’m aware of,” Harbaugh replied, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “I haven’t seen anything that would remotely make me think that.”
Running back prospect Terrence West told reporters that he has about eight meetings scheduled with teams tonight. The Ravens are one of those clubs, tweets Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC West Rumors: Raiders, Allen, Smith

February 21st, 2014 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers GM Tom Telesco addressed reporters yesterday and acknowledged that the team is a little tight on cap space and will have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks. While we keep an eye on San Diego, here’s a quick look at the Chiefs and Raiders..

Raiders head coach Dennis Allen says that he’s not interested in a one-year fix. “Everybody looks at our salary cap and says, ‘They’re going to go after every free agent that’s out there.’ That’s just not the case,” Allen told CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “We’re going to identify some guys and we have the ability to go out and get some guys (in free agency), but I just don’t believe that’s the way you build your football team.”
Chiefs GM John Dorsey says he doesn’t anticipate using the franchise tag, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
Dorsey confirmed the Chiefs have reached out to Alex Smith’s representatives about an extension, Paylor tweets. A new deal for the quarterback could clear some much-needed cap room for KC.

Texans Rumors: Smith, Manziel, Draft

February 21st, 2014 at 1:00pm CST by Zachary Links

League sources “increasingly believe” that the Texans are leaning toward Johnny Manziel with the first overall pick, but we’ve got a long way to go between now and the draft. The latest out of Houston..

Texans GM Rick Smith said he hasn’t narrowed down his choices on the No. 1 pick to a few choices just yet as the club is still early in the evaluation process, tweets Brian Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Manziel would make a lot of sense for the Texans as they’re expected to move away from quarterback Matt Schaub.
Smith cautioned that taking a player based too much off of need can be dangerous in the end, Brian Smith tweets.
The Texans are scheduled to meet with Manziel on Saturday, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
As expected, the Texans don’t expect to use the franchise tag this offseason, Smith tweets.

Giants, Coughlin Agree To Extension

February 21st, 2014 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

11:59am: Coughlin’s extra year is at a similar salary as the last contract, which means he’ll earn ~$7MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

11:34am: Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters that he has agreed to a one-year extension with the club, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (on Twitter). Coughlin’s current deal, a three-year, $20MM pact signed after Super Bowl XLVI, only took him through the upcoming 2014 season, so this contract will keep him in place through 2015, once finalized.

The 67-year-old Coughlin is the oldest coach in the NFL and he apparently doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon. Giants co-owner John Mara recently told ESPN Radio that he intended to talk to Coughlin about a contract extension soon. “He’s going to be our coach here next year,” Mara said. “And hopefully for longer than that, but we haven’t sat down to even talk about that yet.”

Coughlin, of course, helped lead the Giants to Super Bowl victories for the 2007 and 2011 seasons. This past year, of course, wasn’t as fruitful as those seasons. The Giants started the season 0-6 and even though they managed to cobble together some victories after that point, they were too far in the hole and finished with a 7-9 mark. For his career, Coughlin owns a collective 158-130 record. With the Giants, Coughlin is 90-70.

Falcons Rumors: Draft, Babineaux, Gonzalez

February 21st, 2014 at 11:27am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff spoke to reporters about the club’s strategy heading into the draft and overall gameplan for the offseason. Here’s a look at the highlights..

Dimitroff reiterated his openness to trading up in the draft, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The Falcons currently own the No. 6 overall pick in the draft. It’s purely speculation, but a move to trade up could be an effort to get in the mix for South Carolina standout defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
The Falcons’ current focus is on free agents before looking in-house to restructure any deals, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Julio Jones and Roddy White are among Atlanta’s extension candidates.
Dimitroff added that the club has yet to extend any offers to any of their own free agents, tweets McClure. Atlanta’s free agents include defensive tackles Jonathan Babineaux and Corey Peters, cornerback Dominique Franks, tight end Chase Coffman, and offensive lineman Joe Hawley.
Dimitroff was asked if he’s still trying to lure tight end Tony Gonzalez back for one more year – he smiled and said “no,” tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

Lions To Retain Kris Durham, Jeremy Ross

February 21st, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions will bring back exclusive rights free agents Kris Durham and Jeremy Ross, GM Martin Mayhew confirmed to reporters in Indianapolis today (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). The two receivers have fewer than three accrued NFL seasons, meaning re-upping with the Lions is essentially their only option this offseason.

Durham, a fourth-round pick in 2011, became a more significant part of the Lions’ offense in 2013, racking up 38 receptions, 490 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns while starting 13 games. He didn’t perform well based on Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which ranked him 109th out of 111 qualified receivers, but he’s still just 25 years old, and may not be relied upon for quite as large a role in 2014 if the team adds a receiver or two.

As for Ross, the 25-year-old caught five passes for the Lions after being waived by the Packers earlier in the 2013 season. However, most of his value stemmed from his production as a return man. Ross brought back 17 punts (15.5 AVG, one TD) and 21 kicks (24.5 AVG, one TD) for the club in 10 contests.

Neither player appears to have officially inked a contract yet, but considering they have minimal leverage, minimum-salary contracts seem likely, perhaps with modest signing bonuses.